This invention relates to an additive for coating compositions which imparts flexibility to finishes formed from coating composition containing the additive.
For painting and refinishing of automobiles and trucks, the following paints are sold: acrylic lacquers as described in Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,249 issued Sept. 18, 1979, nitrocellulose lacquers, acrylic alkyd enamels as described in Miller U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,993 issued Oct. 29, 1974 and acrylic polyurethane enamels as described in Vasta U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,564 issued Jan. 26, 1971. These lacquers and enamels have a low level of flexibility and are primarily designed for application over rigid metal parts of automobiles and trucks. However, there are a number of parts of automobile and truck bodies that use flexible materials such as the flexible material covering the area between the bumper and the body of an automobile. When the aforementioned enamels or lacquers are applied over this flexible material and the material is flexed, the enamel or lacquer cracks, chips and peels off. A universal additive is needed that would form flexible finishes of these enamels and lacquers but would not degrade other important properties such as adhesion, weatherability, gasoline resistance, gloss and distinctness of image.